Bedouin

The Bedouin are the nomadic and semi-nomadic Arab tribes of the deserts of Arabia, Syria, Iraq and North Africa, organised in lineages and tribal confederations. Herding camels, sheep and goats, they controlled desert routes and served settled states as soldiers, allies or rivals. Several medieval dynasties, such as the Numayrids, Mirdasids and Uqaylids, rose from Bedouin tribes, and tribal power remained central to Arabian politics into the 20th century.